Citation

Dlamini T, Naidoo S, Swanepoel AJ. Occup. Health South. Afr. 2014; 20(4): 13-18.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Technique Publisher)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Occupational injury data form part of the essential information needed for the overall accident prevention strategy for any workplace. The data are important in measuring safety performance, as well as identifying the most frequently occurring types of accidents within a workplace, with the aim of enhancing safety improvement strategies. This study investigated the types and causes of occupational injuries that occurred in a large paper mill in South Africa. A retrospective record review of all occupational injuries that occurred from 2000 to 2004 was carried out. The UK Health and Safety Executive's method of classifying occupational accidents was used. Three hundred and forty-one injuries were recorded in the mill's Safety Incident Register during that period. The highest proportion of injuries recorded was sustained by the mill's own employees (65.7%), with a five-year average injury incident rate (IIR) of 17.0 per 100 employees per year. The steady annual decline in the overall annual IIR (AIIR), from 17.3 per 100 employees in 2000 to 9.2 per 100 employees in 2004, was encouraging. Artisans, assistant workers, supervisors, and students employed for less than one year had the highest AIIRs, ranging from 38.8% to 17.8%. Wounds and eye injuries were the most frequently occurring injuries, at 41.6% and 26.7%, respectively, and were sustained primarily through slip related injuries (18.2%) and poor handling practices (13.8%).

Language: en